Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. With Illustrations by John Leech. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. First edition. Title page. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Random Acts of Kindness. What better time than at Christmas to do a little surprise something for somebody? It’s a time, as Dickens said in the Christmas Carol, “…when want is keenly felt, and abundance rejoices.”
Why bother? Do it and you’ll see.
I imagine you’ll find that it’s not even necessary to stick around and see the person’s reaction. Trust me.
Slow down from the craziness of the season and pay attention to those around you. The woman who just ran over your foot with a cart and didn’t apologize may be fretting over her child who has to spend Christmas in the hospital. What about your garbage man who has to brush off the snow to even find your pile of trash? How ‘bout leaving him a note and thermos of hot chocolate? What can you do that would ease a person or bring a boost of encouragement?
It’s the small things. The unexpected. The unlooked for…that can make a big difference. Confirm that someone cares and notices them in this bustling world…that they’re not alone. If you’re a believer, also leave a note that says God loves them…in case they’ve forgotten.
Here’s a list of ideas to randomly act with kindness and make someone’s day. I take no credit for this list or the idea. I’m just passing it on. By no means is the list complete, but it should get the generous gears in your mind turning. This is a reminder for myself—as much as for you—not to get so preoccupied as to miss what’s important…what this holiday is really about.
I wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. God bless us every one.
The Volunteer Fringe 
Thanks for the reminder Marney. It’s easy to get caught up in in everything that we “need” to get done and not pay attention to those around us. I’m reminded of my dad, again, who used to say, “sometimes a smile, a kind word can someone’s day…and it absolutely free.” 🙂 Merry Christmas 🙂
Love this, Marney. My husband and I pledged that this year, in light of all that has happened both personally and all around the world, we would not exchange presents or purchase them for anyone else. This was a tough decision as we absolutely adore surprising one another and also seeing the faces of our loved ones upon opening their gifts. But it is clear to me the abundance we have; no one we know personally is lacking, and so our money is better used elsewhere.
I love this idea of taking a portion of funds and doing a multitude of RAOK, and there, of course, challenging others to do the same. Thank you for inspiring us onward.
~ Cara